It happened in 1517 that a Dominican monk named Johann Tetzel, a braggart,
caused a great stir. Maximilian once sentenced him to drowning in the River
Inn - presumably because of his great virtue - but Duke Frederick rescued him
in Innsbruck from the punishment of being drowned. Duke Frederick reminded him
of this incident when he began to denounce us Wittenbergers. Actually, he
admitted it quite openly. This same Tetzel now began to peddle indulgences.
With might and main he sold grace for money as dearly or a cheaply as he
could. At the time I was preacher here in the cloister and was filled as a new
doctor with an ardent love for the scriptures.

When many people from Wittenberg ran after indulgences to Jüterborg and
Zerbst, I did not know - as surely as my Lord Christ has redeemed me - what
indulgences were, but no one else knew either. I carefully began to preach
that one could do something better and more certain than to purchase
indulgences. On an earlier occasion I had already preached here in the castle
against indulgences, but was not very graciously received by Duke Frederick,
who was fond of his collegiate church. Now, to speak about the real cause for
the 'Lutheran scandal', at first I let everything continue its course. Then it
was reported to me, however, that Tetzel was preaching some cruel and terrible
propositions, such as the following:

He had grace and power from the Pope to offer forgiveness even if someone
had slept with the Holy Virgin Mother of God, as long as a contribution would
be put into the coffer.

Furthermore, the red Cross of indulgences and the papal coat of arms on the
flag of the churches was as powerful as the Cross of Christ.

Moreover, even if St. Peter were here now he would have no greater grace or
power than he had.

Furthermore, he would not want to trade places in heaven with St. Peter,
for he had redeemed more souls with his indulgences than Peter with his
sermons.

Furthermore, if anyone put money into the coffer for a soul in purgatory,
the soul would leave purgatory for heaven in the moment one could hear the
penny hit the bottom.

Also the grace of indulgences is the grace by which man is reconciled with
God.

Furthermore, it is not necessary to show remorse or sorrow or do penance
for sins when purchasing indulgences or a letter of indulgence. He even sold
indulgences for future sins. Such abominable things he did abundantly. He was
merely interested in money.

At the time I did not yet know who was to get the money. Then there
appeared a booklet with the illustrious coat of arms of the Bishop of
Magdeburg. In it the commissioners of indulgences were ordered to preach some
of the propositions. Thus it came to light that Bishop Albert had employed
Tetzel, because he was such a braggart.

Source: Martin Luther, Wider Hans Worst, 1541. (WA 51,
538.)

After Tetzel had received a substantial amount of money at Leipzig, a
nobleman asked him if it were possible to receive a letter of indulgence for a
future sin. Tetzel quickly answered in the affirmative, insisting, however,
that the payment had to made at once. This the nobleman did, receiving
thereupon letter and seal from Tetzel. When Tetzel left Leipzig the nobleman
attacked him along the way, gave him a thorough beating, and sent him back
empty-handed to Leipzig with the comment that this was the future sin which he
had in mind. Duke George at first was quite furious about this incident, but
when he heard the whole story he let it go without punishing the nobleman.

Source: Luthers Schriften, herausg. von Walch. XV, 446.

At the time a Dominican monk named Johann Tetzel was the great mouthpiece,
commissioner, and preacher of indulgences in Germany. His preaching raised
enormous amounts of money which were sent to Rome. This was particularly the
case in the new mining town St. Annaberg, where I, Friedrich Myconius,
listened to him for over two years. The claims of this uneducated and shameful
monk were unbelievable. Thus he said that even if someone had slept with
Christ's dear Mother, the Pope had power in heaven and on earth to forgive as
long as the money was put into the indulgences coffer. And if the Pope would
forgive, God also had to forgive. He furthermore said if they would put money
quickly into the coffer to obtain grace and indulgence, all the mountains near
St. Annaberg would turn into pure silver. He claimed that in the very moment
the coin rang in the coffer, the soul rose up to heaven. Such a marvellous
thing was his indulgence. In sum and substance: God was no longer God, as he
had bestowed all divine power to the Pope: 'Tu es Petrus, tibi dabo
claves, quodcunque.' And then there were the masters of the Inquisition,
who banished and burned those saying conflicting words.

This indulgence was highly respected. When the commissioner was welcomed to
town, the papal bull was carried on velvet or gold cloth. All the priests,
monks, councilmen, teachers, pupils, men, women, maids, and children went to
meet him singing in solemn procession with flags and candles. The bells tolled
and when he entered the church the organ played. A red Cross was put up in the
middle of the church to which the Pope's banner was affixed. In short: even
God himself could not have been welcomed and received more beautifully.

Source: Friedrich Myconius, Historia reformationis, p. 14.

The Text of a Sermon on Indulgences
by Johann Tetzel

What are you thinking about? Why do you hesitate to convert yourself? Why
don't you have fears about your sins? Why don't you confess now to the vicars
of our Most Holy Pope? Don't you have the example of Lawrence, who, compelled
by the love of God, gave away his inheritance and suffered his body to be
burned? Why do you not take the example of Bartholomew, Stephen, and of other
saints who gladly suffered the most gruesome deaths for the sake and salvation
of their souls? You, however, do not give up great treasures; indeed you give
not even a moderate alms. They gave their bodies to be martyred, but you
delight in living well and joyfully. You priest, nobleman, merchant, wife,
virgin, you married people, young person, old man, enter into your church
which is for you, as I have said, St. Peter's, and visit the most holy Cross.
It has been placed there for you, and it always cries and calls for you. Are
you perhaps ashamed to visit the Cross with a candle and yet not ashamed to
visit a tavern? Are you ashamed to go to the apostolic confessors, but not
ashamed to go to a dance? Behold, you are on the raging sea of the world in
storm and danger, not knowing if you will safely reach the harbor of
salvation. Do you not know that everything which man has hangs on a thin
thread and that all of life is but a struggle on earth? Let us then fight, as
did Lawrence and the other saints, for the day it is well, but ill tomorrow.
Today alive and tomorrow dead.

You should know that all who confess and in penance put alms into the
coffer according to the counsel of the confessor, will obtain complete
remission of all their sins. If they visit, after confession and after the
Jubilee, the Cross and the altar every day they will receive that indulgence
which would be theirs upon visiting in St. Peter's the seven altars, where
complete indulgence is offered. Why are you then standing there? Run for the
salvation of your souls! Be as careful and concerned for the salvation of your
souls as you are for your temporal goods, which you seek both day and night.
Seek the Lord while he may be found and while he is near. Work, as St. John
says, while it it yet day, for the night comes when no man can work.

Don't you hear the voices of your wailing dead parents and others who say,
'Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me, because we are in severe punishment
and pain. From this you could redeem us with a small alms and yet you do not
want to do so.' Open your ears as the father says to the son and the mother to
the daughter . . ., 'We have created you, fed you, cared for you, and left you
our temporal goods. Why then are you so cruel and harsh that you do not want
to save us, though it only takes a little? You let us lie in flames so that we
only slowly come to the promised glory.' You may have letters which let you
have, once in life and in the hour of death . . . full remission of the
punishment which belongs to sin. Oh, those of you with vows, you usurers,
robbers, murderers, and criminals - Now is the time to hear the voice of God.
He does not want the death of the sinner, but that he be converted and live.
Convert yourselves then, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, to the Lord, thy God. Oh, you
blasphemers, gossippers, who hinder this work openly or secretly, what about
your affairs? You are outside the fellowship of the Church. No masses, no
sermons, prayers, sacraments, or intercession help you. No field, vineyard,
trees, or cattle bring fruit or wine for you. Even spiritual things vanish, as
many an illustration could point out. Convert yourself with all you heart and
use the medicine of which the Book of Wisdom says, 'The Most High has made
medicine out of the earth and a wise man will not reject it.'

Source: W. Köhler, Dokumente zum Ablassstreit, pp. 125-26.

The above are quoted from The Reformation, by Hans J. Hillerbrand,
published by Harper & Row, publishers, Copyright 1964 by SCM Press Ltd and
Harper and Row, Inc., Library of Congress catalog card number 64-15480, pp.
41-46.